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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: land · ball · drill · game · bay · vault

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — the tool
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. game — a match
  9. land — ground
  10. vault — a safe
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a great time
  13. land — a country
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. drill — army training
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. ball — a round shape

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com